| Under
pressure in schools |
| |
 |
Parents
need to watch out for signs of
stress in their children and take
steps
to help them cope better
in school. |
|
|
|
| |
Feeling stressed
or pressurised is part and parcel of life. Stress
or pressure can help us avoid dangerous situations.
It makes us alert, and gives us the motivation
to deal with problems that come our way. However,
if the stress or pressure becomes too much to
bear, it can interfere with our everyday lives.
Such disruptions can have a devastating impact
on our physical and emotional health.
One type of pressure is the pressure to perform.
Even before starting formal education, some children
are already enrolled in pre-school. There they
are taught subjects such as languages, arithmetic,
science and technology. It is a good thing for
them to start learning early in life. However,
it is another matter if the main focus is on getting
results, or getting ahead of others.
Another kind of pressure is the pressure to
reform. We should be constantly seeking to improve.
Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools, the Gifted
Programme, independent schools, Primary 4 Streaming
and the Integrated Programme are some of the educational
schemes that we are aware of. All these programmes
are good, but they can be too daunting for some.
The pressure to conform can be another kind
of pressure at school.
It is not about wearing the same uniform, which
is essential for nation-building. It is about
succumbing to pressure from peers, and about picking
up habits like smoking or engaging in illegal
and immoral activities.
Your child is under stress if he or she consistently:
|
